Burned
by C'est Le Soleil
Summary: He once was the light of the sacred flame... but one man, and one event changed all that forever. This is my interpretation of Asch's past, from the time he is kidnapped to when we first meet him. Chapter Four finally up!
1. Chapter 1 : Prometheus Steals Fire

Okay... well, this is my first fanfiction here. Because at one point, I just got all of these ideas about how Asch's life could have been, and was inspired to write.

So, hopefully you'll enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter One : Prometheus Steals Fire

Van, that bastard. The thought lingered in his mind again, as he kicked out once more in the darkness, hitting nothing but air. He couldn't hear anything but the muffled whispers, couldn't see through the thick cloth, couldn't feel anything but the soft rumbling of whatever vehicle they were riding in. Damn Van, damn Van, damn Van. Could he emphasize that any more?

And yet, in all his anger, the underlying sense of fear kept creeping into his mind. What was going to happen? He wanted this to be over, for somebody to come... and while they were at it, kill that SOB Van. Or something.

Another bump. It was getting irritating, the whole bound hand and feet thing. He couldn't seem to get in any comfortably position, no matter which way he twisted or turned.

"Luke." Oh, it was _his_ voice. What did he want? "We're here, so I'm letting you out, alright?" He could feel a hand near his face, a moment later could see Van's face in front of him. For being only twenty-one, his face seemed to hint at an older age. Perhaps it was the beard and eyebrows. He had the same face as a few hours ago, that same soft expression he always had back in Baticul. What was wrong this time? How, and why did he change so suddenly? It was hard to understand.

Next were the hands, followed soon by the feet, and Luke resisted the silent urge to attack his teacher. Not that it would do much... he was so small, and felt even smaller now. He looked around the small space, the design different from most transports he was familiar with. He finally spoke, his young voice sounding weaker than he had hoped.

"Wh-what is this place...?" He muttered, a hint of fatigue showing in his voice. Van gave him what seemed like a half-grin, standing up and heading for what seemed like the exit, beckoning Luke to follow. He jumped out of the seat, small boots pattering against the metallic floor.

His green eyes widened as they both stepped out, and he paused for a moment. He had expected to be outside somewhere, but this looked nothing like outside. But then, it didn't look like it was inside either. Strangest was the sky... a great deviation from the normal light blue, purple clouds seemed to block out what little light may have been shining through.

"Yulia City, Luke. Also known as the Watchers' City." Van said, stopped a few feet ahead. "In the Quliphoth." He added. Luke cocked his head, looking now at the strange lights and buildings around him. "The Cliff... Ath?" He asked, curiosity in his voice. "Is that why-"

"It'll all be explained to you soon enough, Luke. Come on, quickly..." Van had already begun to move forward again, and Luke trotted faster to catch up, eyes unable to divert away from the city. There seemed to be no people in this part, and he assumed it wasn't exactly the main entrance.

They entered a large building soon enough, built in the same strange, unidentifiable style as everything else. They were starting to see more people now, dressed in similar clothing as Van, giving them an air of authority. Luke was beginning to inch closer towards his captor, nervous.

"Commandant Grants." Luke looked off again towards the source of the address, similar to many of the others Van seemed to be receiving. However, his escort seemed to stop at this one, and Luke came to an abrupt halt, looking up at yet another officer.

"Major Legretta, good to see that you're well." Van said, replying in just the same formal fashion.

"This is Luke, is it...?" Her voice was stiff, near emotionless. Luke met eyes with her, seeing coldness in the deep blue, and a sense of age that seemed to contradict the youth that was still in her face.

"Yes, I'm having him stay here temporarily. Until next week or so, and then we'll be taking him back up... for that certain operation."

"Shouldn't you be getting it over with quickly, Commandant? His parents are not going to simply sit around and do nothing, you know; and you're most likely a suspect." Legretta pointed out. Van crossed his arms, nodding

"Things would be going smoother," he began, "but I contacted Dist earlier. He needs a little bit more time to prepare, apparently. I'm sure with enough cooperation down here we can keep this quiet as possible." There was a silence, nothing more to be said on the topic. Luke couldn't help wanting to scream out, to get help, to tell Van how his uncle and parents would find him no matter what, but this place... so strange, so different, it felt like a prison. He couldn't even see the sky. What was it called again? The facts were getting jumbled about in his head again, and silence was all that remained.

"Well, how is Mystearica doing, then?" Van began, looking down from Legretta. And for the first time, Luke noticed the other person present... silent, nearly blending in with the rest of the people wandering about. Her face mirrored the stern expression of Legretta, dark brown hair pulled back into the same kind of ponytail. One little bit failed to cooperate, falling over her right eye. And Luke couldn't help but see the resemblance between the young girl and Van.

"Tear is doing well in her training... just as talented as her older brother, it seems." Legretta's face seemed to struggle to grin, and overall it appeared somewhat unnatural. Tear gave a childlike smile as well as Van lowered himself to her height.

"I always knew she was an amazing girl." Van said, chuckling. Luke narrowed his eyes, wondering if Tear knew just how horrible her brother was. Or, if she knew, did she even care...?

"Humph, you're just saying that." Tear replied, pulling another small laugh out of Van as she stood akimbo, tapping her foot quickly.

"Maybe Tear could take Luke around, then? I think he might be a bit more comfortable with somebody of his own age." He added. Ya right, Luke thought to himself, looking down and scowling. If he thought he could make this better for him, he was dead wrong. Legretta responded with a shake of her head.

"Tear will be busy today... we're heading off to an important session." She replied, as Van lifted himself up to his feet again.

"I understand. I'll take him to the room we arranged for earlier, then. Good luck to you, Tear." He gave a small wave to his sister as they began walking off. Luke instinctively followed his teacher, looking back on the two one last time. An eerie feeling passed over him as he noticed how syncronized they were; the same steps, the same stature, everything. As if Tear were a smaller, younger clone of Legretta.

Exiting the large, dome shaped room (Luke assumed it was a lobby of some sort), Luke found himself in a narrow, quiet hallway, lined with doors. He became focused once again on the situation, now that that little detour was over.

"This is part of the residential area reserved for Order of Lorelei members... that room you were just in was a part of Yulia City's branch." Van explained to him as they continued walking, the place seeming to get darker. Luke spoke, finally.

"Why is everything so... strange?" He asked. "And more importantly-" He was cut off by Van.

"Here we are, this is the place." Van stopped, ignoring Luke's statement, creating an angered expression on the child's face. He opened the door, leading into a small room, scarcely furnished. "You'll be staying in here for a few days, Luke..." He trailed off, closing the door behind him.

"Master Van, answer my questions. And take me home." Luke blurted out, seating himself on the bed. He was so tired, and confused, and didn't know what was going on... it bothered him. Van looked up, then down, finally taking a seat in a chair, placing it across from Luke.

"I can't answer all your questions, Luke... but you have to trust me." Luke gritted his teeth, gripping the bedsheets tightly.

"Trust you to do what? You've taken me away, treated me like that... I don't even know what this place is. You're... scaring me, Master Van." He added the last bit in a weak voice, near close to a whine. Van sighed.

"I'm sorry about that, Luke. I had to take you here in that way... I know how strong you are. But sometimes you don't think things through. I was afraid you were going to do something irrational-"

"Like run away, run back home to my parents, and Guy, and Natalia, and Uncle, and...?" Luke interrupted, his tone changing into some combination of fear and anger.

"Luke, I want you to trust me, alright? This is for your own good... for everybody's good. You have the power to help people, and I want to help you help people. Alright...?"

"How can I...?" Luke began, and met a groan from Van.

"Look, Luke... you know what trust is, right?" He tried to calm his voice down, but it was losing its gentleness.

"It's when you don't lie to somebody, and they don't lie to you, and you know it just because." Luke said, nodding with confidence in his answer. Van nodded back.

"Exactly. So I need you to trust me on this, and you don't need to know the causes or the whys and hows. Don't you agree?" Luke cocked his head at this, unsure. Part of it sounded true... but part of it seemed strange.

"Ya, I got it. But... am I going anywhere else? What's going to happen?"

"Well... right now it's fairly late, so I think you should get to bed. You look exhausted. I'll see you tomorrow, and everything will be clear. Soon." Van replied, making his way towards the door.

"Good night, Luke." He added as he stepped through the door, closing it softly behind him. Luke couldn't help but notice the "click" a moment after; the sound of a lock. He lay down, letting out a deep breath.

"Good night, Master Van..." He muttered, near silently. Silence was all around now: Nobody to tell him what was going on, where he was, nothing. Darkness and silence.

There was one noise, though... the sound of sobbing, as Luke cried into the pillow, hoping that he could wake up later, and have it all be over.

* * *

Woo, first chapter done. As usual, reviews are very well appreciated. 


	2. Chapter 2 : Purple Clouds

Chapter Two : Purple Clouds

"...Luuuke, Luke... Master Luke!" The maid's abrupt voice stopped him short. He ran back quickly, smiling, green eyes further lit up by the bright sunlight.

"Aaaw, come on, why do we have to go so slowly...? I want to get there fast." The young noble complained, making a teasing face. His long red hair (currently tied back) bounced up and down as he tried his best to calm himself.

"Your parents are still behind us. And Guy." She added the last part in hopes that Luke would adjust his pace to that of his friend. Luke stuck out his tongue playfully, his tone becoming somewhat defiant.

"But Natalia's already there. I think it would be rude to make them wait, don't you?" He said, giving a mischievous grin. The maid rolled her eyes, giving up on him. She waved her hands, motioning Luke to go on with whatever he wanted.

"Luke! ...Where's everybody else?" Natalia's bright voice called out, as he approached the small group. It was really just Natalia and her nanny - her father was, as usual, fairly busy, and couldn't take out enough time today. Luke thought for a moment how difficult it must be to be king... until Natalia's voice pulled him out of the trance. "You're so easily distracted, Luke... come on, the grass is really nice!" She made some room on the small sheet laid out, pulling something out of the picnic basket. A bright red apple, crimson like Luke's hair, which the princess tossed to him as he plopped down beside her.

"There you are..." The voice sounded somewhat tired, as the teenage boy approached. "Seriously, Luke, can't you calm down for one second?"

"Aw, Guy, don't be a killjoy. It's just so exciting!" Luke exclaimed. "First day of spring, and the flowers will bloom soon, and..." He trailed off, and Natalia took over.

"Just sit down, Nanny prepared a lovely picnic. At least Luke let you get out of the manor." She said, sticking out her tongue.

Guy looked at her, a cautious expression on his voice. He sat down on the grass, inching slowly away from Natalia. "I can go out by myself, you know... I'm not a dog." He muttered, irritated. Luke smiled.

"Guy, cheer up... we came out here to relax." He said, leaning back, emerald eyes watching the clouds rolling by. In the corner of his eye he could catch a glimpse of the high-rising buildings around other parts of Baticul. He could hear Natalia letting out one of her sweet giggles, as she continued to tease Guy...

* * *

"What are you thinking about?" The voice was abrupt, shaking him from the vision. His eyes opened, staring once again at, not the bright blue sky of Kimlasca, but that strange dome-ceiling, the stormy clouds hovering farther above the translucent windows. What were they? He silently wondered to himself, before sitting up. He was a bit sore from lying on the hard platform of this... balcony-type place? He couldn't decide... this place was designed so strangely. 

He looked around for the source of the voice, focusing on the small figure standing a few feet away. She stood with her arms behind her back, rocking back and forth, patiently. Luke almost didn't recognize her, she looked so different from yesterday. But that was definitely Tear... though the tight ponytail was let loose now, coming down to her shoulders, and the uniform had been replaced by a strange brownish dress; he noticed its similarity to the clothing of a few other people he'd seen today.

"Nothing... really." He said slowly, hesitantly. She was a little strange, he felt, just standing there, with an innocent sort of smile on her face. She walked up, pulling herself up onto the higher platform he was sitting on.

"You sound like my brother." She said in an irritated voice, and making a face to go with it. Luke replied automatically, without thinking.

"D-don't compare me to him! I'm... I'm nothing like him." He lashed out, turning to the girl. She stared forward, looking dazed, or at least not like she was paying attention. A slow nod followed.

"Well, my brother never likes to tell me what he's thinking." She muttered, half to herself. She chuckled. "Hint, hint."

Luke narrowed his eyes at her, sighing. "I don't have to tell you anything. Unless you're willing to... explain what this place is, I guess. Or what Van is up to, why he wants me. What was he talking about with that... Legretta lady yesterday?" Tear turned to him finally, grin on her face.

"You go first, and I'll tell you." She said. Luke replied by groaning.

"Fine... I was thinking about back home, if that's what you want to know." He said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Tear let out a deep breath, shaking her head.

"Good enough, I suppose. This is the Quliphoth; I'm sure Van has at least explained that much to you." The girl began. Luke gave a quick nod, motioning her to keep speaking. She continued. "The Quliphoth was created by Yulia, as a solution to get rid of something called 'the miasma.' Those purple clouds, and mud-ocean you've already seen." She motioned to the ceiling, and the vast sea just over the edge of the railing, a mere twenty or so feet away. Sounded familiar to Luke... the Yulia and miasma part. He looked back towards Tear as she kept with her explanation. "Above those purple clouds is the world you're more familiar with; the Outer Lands. They're held up by the Sephiroth... huge, glowing trees. They're actually really pretty..." She trailed off, blue eyes sparkling at the thought of watching one of the magnificent structures. Luke pushed himself off the seat, onto his feet, pondering at the vast nothingness in front of him. Miasma was toxic, he knew... Why did these people live here? Wasn't it dangerous? A sense of worry for the girl behind him gathered for a moment.

"That helps things. Thank you, Tear." He said, walking away. So there really was no escape from this place... His hopes sank further into his stomach, leaving nothing but a squirmy feeling in his heart.

"I can show you the Sephiroth, if you're bored..." Tear's voice was flowy, soft, as if the idea had just come to her at that moment, more like a passing thought she had decided to voice. Luke looked back one moment, considering the statement. It was true, he didn't have anything to do... Van said that they wouldn't be going anywhere for a few more days.

"Alright." He said, waiting. The clacking of Tear's boots quickened, as she rushed ahead of him, waving him over. He rolled his eyes, taking it slowly. After all, he did have a lot of time...

* * *

"Tear, I don't think I can take another flight of stairs. Isn't there any place... lower?" Luke stopped again, panting. Running up steps wasn't really a thing he did normally. But considering how much of this kind of thing he'd seen already, he assumed Tear was fairly used to it. He heard a giggled from up ahead, as his guide peeked out from the railing of the next flight up. 

"Of course there is... this is the best view, though. And it's killing time... isn't that good?" She added, and Luke heard the metallic pattering of footsteps again. He sighed, running to catch up with her. A look of relief crossed his face as he noticed the stairs finally opening onto a roof.

"Took you long enough." Tear glanced back, leaning against another railing. "That's the Sephiroth, see?" She pointed off into the distance, and Luke wondered how he hadn't caught it the moment he stepped out.

It was brilliant and white, and one of the biggest things Luke had ever seen. He couldn't decide if it was as tall or even taller than the highest point in Baticul. And it really was a tree... branches of light shot up, into the deep violet sky. Off towards the place he'd come from... he let out a sigh.

"So... Van told me you came from Baticul. What's that?" Tear asked, as Luke continued staring, awestruck. He took a moment to realize what she was asking, unsure what to answer. He didn't want to talk about home right now.

"It's... the capital of Kimlasca." He muttered, quietly. He lowered his head, resting it on his arms, looking now instead at the deadly sea.

"Oh... That's what you were thinking about earlier, then? It must be nice, if you miss it so much." Luke raised his eyebrows at her, surprised by the comment. What did she mean, 'if you miss it...?' Did she expect him not to miss home?

"I think I'd miss it, even if it wasn't as nice..." He said, irritated. "Wouldn't you miss home, if you were pulled away from all your friends and family?"

Tear shook her head. "Not really. It's boring here... and my family... well, you've seen how my family is." Luke understood her point... being in such a small city, surrounded by miasma... he wouldn't mind being taken away from here either.

"Haven't you ever been out of the Quliphoth?" Luke asked, curious. The girl gave another shake of her head, sighing.

"It's not fair. I ask Van, I ask Legretta, I ask my Grandfather... they don't want me to go up there. I don't know why... something about 'the time will come soon enough' and 'when you're older.'" She looked up, the rain of sea water stopping just above. Luke frowned, feeling somewhat bad for her.

"Well... you ought to go someday. Blue skies, green grass, flowers... and completely miasma free. Not to mention it's huge, unlike this tiny place you're stuck in." He turned around, looking back at the stairs. "I should be going back-"

"You shouldn't cry. Believe it's going to be better, alright...?" Tear said, still turned away. Luke's eyes widened; he had begun to get a little teary-eyed, he noticed. What did she care, though?

"I'm... not crying." He said, creeping slowly towards the stairs. "Thank you, though." He added, before leaving. Ya, right, you're not crying, he thought. The tears were rolling down his cheeks as he began running, hoping she wouldn't see.

* * *

The sound of footsteps echoed through the halls, and Luke continued to eagerly follow them. This was it... finally he was going to get out of this strange city, back up to the Outer Lands. There was hope up there... a chance of escape, of telling somebody to come rescue him. 

"Luke, walk faster. This has to be done quickly." Van's deep voice was a good ten feet in front of him, and sounded impatient. He quickened his pace, mostly powered by excitement. Just play along with it, the child thought.

"How are we getting back up?" He asked. How did they get down here, was an even better question, he thought to himself.

"The Yulia Road." Van replied stolidly, continuing to walk. "Almost there, Luke." The next door was different from the previous ones, and opened into another general area. He hadn't seen this place yet, he noticed... not that he could see much more of it, as Van was approaching another doorway. A civilian was monitoring the entrance, deep brown robe looking just like all the others. It was like they were all the same, Luke thought to himself.

"Vandesdelca..." The man muttered quietly, raising an arm in front of the Commandant. "It's all ready for you... your transport from Aramis Spring and everything." He said, stepping aside. Van nodded, hesitating before activating the door.

"It's being as discreet as possible, yes?" He asked, to which he received a grim nod. "Teodoro has been informed of none of this, correct...?" He added.

"The man knows nothing. Quit worrying." The citizen's voice gave reassurance to the statement. Van sighed.

"Good. If my grandfather heard any of this... let's just say I'd get more than a simple scolding." He said, smiling. The two exchanged looks, and Van looked down to his companion.

"This way, Luke." Van's arm motioned inside the room, and Luke took a cautious step forward into the strange place. It was fully enclosed, bright lights carrying symbols crawling up and down the bronze-silver dome ceiling. Luke's eye caught the center immediately; a huge fonic glyph, edges surrounded by four illuminated pillars. This must be the Yulia Road, he thought. But... what was it for?

"Luke... I want you to take my hand for a moment, alright?" Van's voice was softened again, like it normally was when he spoke to him. Luke tilted his head, long red hair swishing back and forth. A short silence lapsed between the two, before Luke hesitantly reached out his small, pale hand. Van quickly held it tight; the way a mother would hold her child's hand when crossing the street. He was trying to hard to be nice, Luke thought. "We're going to step in, now... I don't want you to be scared."

"I'm never scared." Luke replied quickly, staring forth into the lights. His reflection was bouncing about the wall as they stepped forward, slowly engulfed by light.


	3. Chapter 3 : An Elaborate Mirror

Chapter Three : An Extremely Elaborate Mirror.

---

Luke could feel an odd dropping in his stomach, as he continued to shut his eyes tight. How long had it taken so far? Perhaps thirty seconds... he couldn't even feel his teacher's hand anymore, even.

Feeling came back so abruptly that a sort of pain rushed through his nerves. He was still too nervous to open his eyes, but he could hear something finally... a sort of rushing sound. Was it... water? But it sounded so close, as if he was...

In it!

He let out a squeal as his green eyes suddenly opened to the sight of rushing water straight below him. It actually wasn't that powerful... it probably couldn't sweep even somebody as small as himself away. What weirded him out, though, was the fact that he seemed to be hovering straight over it, or walking on the current, without being affected by it in any way.

"Calm down, Luke; it's just an effect of the Yulia Road. You won't get wet." Master Van's voice surprised him; in his excitement he had almost forgot about his captor. Luke turned frantically, noticing that Van, unlike him, was planted on solid ground. He'd obviously done this before, the red-head thought. "Here, come down slowly, slowly..." He took Luke's hands, guiding him down to the ground, smiling. "There."

Luke stood, legs still trembling, letting out a sigh of relief to finally be back both on the ground and in the Outer Lands. He took a moment to look around where they had ended up; It was no place he recognized, but then, it didn't seem like a very memorable location, either. Simply your run-of-the-mill nature scene. Luke looked behind him, watching as the waterfall from which they had come flowed down into a small stream, crawling into dense foliage. A slight breeze blew in over the tall hills surrounding them, disrupting Luke's deep crimson locks. He took a deep breath, inhaling the cool, clean, miasma-free air. It was good to be back... if only he were actually back home.

"They'll be waiting for us at the entrance..." Van muttered sternly, probably to himself. He took a few steps towards the cave entrance Luke had just noticed, absentmindedly beckoning Luke over. The child frowned; Van wasn't even trying to keep him from escaping, they were so far out in the middle of nowhere. It reminded him of how young and helpless he was... rage boiled inside him. He'd just have to wait until the right moment... then run. He soon caught up with the Commandant, the bright sun soon disappearing as they stepped through.

It was a maze, or at least seemed like one to Luke. In fact, as they went through, he could only remember it as a blur. There was silence all throughout, greatly catching Luke's attention. He usually found it so easy to speak with Van... but obviously that was different, now.

He held up an arm, blocking the sunlight as they stepped out into the open once again. He could hear a chattering noise, as if somebody was speaking either extremely quietly or extremely far away. It proved to be the former, as Luke focused his emerald eyes on the two figures standing in the shade of a nearby oak. They wore uniforms, and appeared to be soldiers; though from what nation, Luke couldn't tell, as it was neither the colors of Malkuth or Kimlasca. Could it be... Daath? Luke had never recalled seeing a soldier from Daath, as he had never even stepped forth on the Padamiya continent. But then...

"Commandant, you're late." One of the soldiers mumbled, sounding irritated. "Dist has been complaining." The other soldier rolled his eyes at this last statement, muttering something Luke couldn't hear. Van nodded, still not turning to face Luke.

"Apologize to him for me, then." Van began. "Is the transportation to Choral Castle ready, then?" The soldiers nodded in affirmation, as a smile crept onto Van's face. "It's perfect, then. Get us there, before the rest of Daath notices anything." He glanced quickly at Luke, walking forward. "If only Aramis Spring were farther away from the city..." He whispered to himself. A light turned on in Luke's head. So they were in Padamiya, he thought. And near Daath, too! This could be what he needed... surely there was somebody nearby, somebody from Daath who could help him. He ignored Van motioning to him, trying to work out a quick plan. There were only three of them... it shouldn't be too hard. "Luke, come on." Van's voice was forceful, impatient. Luke stared up, watching the group, who had already started off walking. Here we go, then. Luke took a deep breath, before turning himself around and running.

"What the hell!?" He heard one of the guards cry out. "Little brat..." He kept sprinting, afraid to look back, unsure where he was going. The path was easy enough to see... but his heart was beating so fast, his fear seemed to be blinding him. He could hear there footsteps behind him, though he didn't know how close it was.

"Commandant, use Yulia's hymn!" The other soldier yelled out.

"No good, the child's a Seventh Fonist." Van replied, sounding frantic. Seventh Fonist? Yulia's Hymn? This got wierder by the minute. "Luke, stop!" No way. He was going to get out of here, no matter how much longer he'd have to keep running.

But his legs didn't seem to agree with him; already he was starting to feel sore, and his breath was getting shorter by the second. Van could outrun him, he knew. This wasn't helping. Before the child knew it, he was being pulled back by a gloved hand, his arms restrained by the other two. He let out a last cry, before collapsing into the dirt, sobbing and panting. "Let me go!" Now one of the hands was over his mouth; Luke made to bite it, but hesitated this time. This wasn't working, not one bit. They had him, and-

"Do you have the sedative I told you to bring?" Van sounded like he was struggling to hold him in place. After a moment's rustling, Luke felt a twinge in his upper right arm; a needle. He fell back further, barely feeling Van's hand steadying him. Grass-green eyes shut, involuntarily, and soon enough everything was black.

---

"...Fonimin levels are stable, sir." "How much longer until we can extract the data?"

"As soon as he wakes up. The drug should be wearing off soon enough."

Ow. Luke's head was hurting... Not to mention he felt cold, and his arm sore. Hell, everything was sore right now. He still had yet to open his eyes, but wasn't sure if he wanted to anymore. Doubtless there was nothing good to see when he came to. The chatter continued, though the only bits of it he was able to catch, he couldn't understand anyways. Something about fon machines, and frequencies, and some other useless drabble.

He could feel a bright light through his eyelids, and cautiously, slowly opened them. A reflex told him to throw up an arm in front of his face, but Luke noticed that was impossible. His arms were strapped to something... something cool and metallic, he began to notice as the feeling came back into his body. The light was dimmed next time he looked, and the shadow of an unknown figure walked around him and out of sight. Lifting up his head as far as the circumstance would allow, he caught a glimpse of his feet, also strapped down, and past that what seemed to be the walls of a cave. The scent of seawater was in the air, strangely familiar; had he been here once before?

"Looks like he's up. Ready, Dist?" Van's deep voice was unmistakable, and seemed incredibly close. Luke gritted his teeth, wishing with all his might that he could get out of here.

"Of course. This will only take a few minutes." Who was that? Obviously the one Van had called Dist... but that was no more than a simple word to Luke. "Cross your fingers that there will be none of those... well, previously observed consequences." He added, tone reminding Luke of an imp from one of his old storybooks.

"I thought you had worked harder to make that chance next to nothing." Van replied solemnly, with a subtle twinge of irritation well mixed in. The Dist person only replied with a sort of giggle, and that was all that Luke heard before the hollow sound of a lever being pulled, inducing a strange whizzing noise. His hands and feet were the first to numb up, and the faint shaking was barely noticable as the rest of his body followed. Bright lights were flashing, and Luke shut his eyes tight in hopes that they would go away.

Then the pain started. It was a sensation similar to burning, and was followed up by a sharp pain stinging through all his joints. He let out a cry, writhing for a moment, wishing he could move. He wasn't sure how long it went on, and soon the whole place felt like a fleeting dream, and a drowsiness fell over him. Slowly and steadily the discomfort decreased, the whizzing noise (now rather strong) following suit. Was it over...? Silence was settling over the whole place, and Luke suddenly felt cold, and fear kept him from opening his eyes again.

"Is he alright?" Van's voice was so close, it seemed, and felt like an alarm. Luke listened as his teacher moved towards him, and the light touch of a hand on his forehead begged him to open his eyes. The environment seemed like a blur, as the child began to focus on the face in front of him. "Luke, you're alright... I'm glad." Van said, relief in his voice. Luke shook his head slightly, confused.

"That hurt, Master Van..." He whined, his current state of weakness reflecting in his voice. He heard a clicking noise, and a pressure removed from his wrists... were his arms finally free? He confirmed it, bringing his hand and running it through his crimson hair. He thought he heard Van urging him to sit up, and did, vision blurring again for a split second. Van's arms were there to catch him as he began to fall back, forcing his head to tilt forward. Van's other arm reached to unleash Luke's legs, which the child was glad to finally be able to relax.

"A perfect sample, Dorian General." Dist's voice called, giving Luke a headache. It sounded so pleased, in the most vile way... it made him want to vomit. Van lifted Luke up off the platform, turning to Dist, a frown on his face. "Oh, don't worry... if there were a problem, he would have exhibited it already. Now, shall I get to work on making the replica?"

"Please do. The sooner it get's done, the sooner we can get out of here undetected." Van replied, setting himself down on a bench, with Luke nearly dozing off beside him. "The exhaustion is only temporary then, right?" He asked, worry in his voice. Luke began to fall over, resting his small head against Van's arm. He was so young, so vulnerable, so innocent... Van sighed. To think that all his plans rested on the shoulders of this child. A child whom he had ripped away from his home, family... Van couldn't help but feel some remorse. Hey, he was human, after all.

"I'm beginning the process, then..." Dist said, hands typing away into the computer screen in front of him. An electronic voice chanted out, "Initializing Data Scan..." Van watched, as tons of different symbols and numbers appeared on the large screen. Fonon frequencies, the bulk of the sample that Dist had taken. It flashed across the screen, too fast to really see, though it went on for a few moments, before a small beep indicated it had finished. "Data scan complete - begin replication process?" The machine inquired, and Dist was quick to confirm the command. "You're about to witness something truly incredible, sir." He said, letting out a sort of giggle as the spinning sound began. The scientist swiveled around in his chair, turning towards a strange sort of chamber nearby. "To think, Jade's sweet little discovery would be useful to us..." He muttered to himself, leaning back.

It was a long process, taking nearly half an hour for the first part. After that it sped up, and Van smiled as what began as a bundle of data soon grew and began more and more to resemble a person. They had to take it slowly, so the seventh fonon levels wouldn't be too easily detected by the Kaitzur Naval Port, so very close nearby. The whole time Luke was asleep, arms now clinging on to Van, as though his captor were a teddy bear.

"Process complete." The voice came oh so abruptly, breaking the long silence, as a click was heard. Van shifted, beginning to stand up. Luke stirred, letting out a small moan. "Master Van... why'd you wake me up?" He asked sleepily, looking up towards his teacher. The Commandant was turned away from him, obviously focusing on something else. But... what? Luke stood up, staggering for a moment, peering at the chamber everybody was watching so intently. He ran past Van, who made a move to stop him, but decided against it.

Luke could see a figure beyond the transluscent door, still too foggy to identify. His ears perked up as the sound of air rushing out accompanied the strange door as it lowered down, revealing the small person on the other side. Luke took a moment to catch his breath, which seemed to have been cut short as his stomach dropped.

It was... how was there any other way to explain it? It was _him_. Luke found himself staring into those same green eyes; same in every way, except that there was a sort of cold emptiness as he peered into the dark black pupils. The long red hair mimicked his own, even seeming to blow in the same direction from the light breeze. He was looking into a mirror. Except it wasn't a mirror. Right? It wasn't a mirror. The word 'replica' popped into his head, the term he had remembered slightly from before. Was this - he gulped as he thought it - a replica of him?

He took a step forward, so cautiously his shoe made barely a sound on the stone floor. A shiver shot up his spine as the other him imitated the move (shakier, less sure of himself, though still virtually the same motion), but with the opposite foot, making it seem even more like simply a reflection. They stood only a few feet away from each other, endlessly staring. Some strange feeling inside Luke compelled him to reach out... and touch the strange twin child. Lifting his hand shakily, he wasn't surprised as the replica followed, the same exact hand movements, the same exact everything. Even their breathing was in sync, Luke eerily noticed. They reached out finally, and just like that, the tips of their fingers touched, ever so slightly. It was strange, touching your own hand, and soon the two's palms were in contact. Now they were still, staring, motionless, lifeless.

Then the sparks gathered, and Luke turned sharply to his hand, from which a large amount of energy seemed to be coming. The replica seemed unable to follow this reflex, still staring dully into space. Van tilted his head, having been watching from afar, barely picking up the sudden seventh fonon rush. Luke continued watching as the energy built up, the thought to pull his hand away not occuring. It was as if he were mesmorized, so much that he still couldn't even pick up on the shaking that kept building.

"Is that... hyperresonance!?" Van cried out, running toward original and replica. Unfortunately, his realization came a few meer seconds too late, as the small gathering soon burst into a blinding flash of light, seeming to force the Commandant back. Luke closed his eyes, looking down, now unable to pull his hand away. What was this strange feeling...? It was as if a bunch of seventh fonons were rushing into him, and an immense power was building up throughout his body. And now... was he hearing things?

_The link has been made..._

Huh?

_Both flames have come together, forming an even stronger fire... they are _one

The voice was unreal, echo-y, as if it wasn't really there. Luke pondered on it for a moment, before his breath was knocked away by somebody pulling him back strongly. He recognized Van grunting, as Luke's hand finally broke away from the replica's.

"Van, this isn't good... that hyperresonance will not go unnoticed." Dist cried out, running to the group, panic in his voice. Van held Luke by both arms, restraining him from movement. The glowing was still going on, illuminating the cave-like place as if it were a bonfire. Luke struggled for a moment, but Van steadied him easily.

"Perhaps this is what we need... we'll leave the replica here, for the Kimlascan army to pick up." Van replied, pulling one arm away from Luke. He still had a firm grip on Luke's wrist, and began leading him away and up a path. Luke ran, dazed, taking a moment to realize what was going on.

"No, Master Van!" He yelled, twisting out of the hold, running back. Van turned around, chasing him. "I'm waiting for Kimlasca to take me home!" He yelled, still sprinting. Back towards the replica, who had collapsed onto the ground, blank expression still on his small, round face. Luke searched for a path, but found a dead end... all except for the way Van was on.

"Don't make me have to stop you like I did last time, Luke..." Van began, his tone cautious. Luke gritted his teeth, tears welling up. He ran towards the Commandant, small hand forming into a fist, before he slammed it into his teacher's stomach, a direct hit. Van stood, stunned, his breath having been knocked out of him; Luke took the pause as a chance to run past, up the rocky path, following the only way he could see out. "Irritating child..." He muttered, before following the redhead towards the Choral Castle.

---

Luke was afraid to look back. Van was there, no doubt, not far behind him. The passageway was spiraling and strange, but he noticed a strange light in the distance, coming in through an opening. He ran through to find himself in what seemed like a study, or some kind of room in a house. Huh? He could have sworn he was in a cave a second ago... maneuvering his way around the furniture, he found the next door, forcing it open and stopping in the large hall.

Looking around, it seemed like a sort of mansion. A trashed one, that is. The banisters of the staircase were worn, and splintered in some places, and it looked as if some kind of animal had taken its home here. Unfortunately, Luke only found himself looking around for a split-second, before he heard Van's footsteps behind him. His emerald eyes flew to the far wall, conveniently holding a sword rack, with weapons on display. Old looking weapons, he had to admit... but they might prove useful if he had to fight Van. And he probably would, judging the situation. He grabbed the only one that was in his reach, a fairly light one, but still heavy compared to his training swords.

"Must you make things so difficult, Luke...?" Van's voice called out to him. Luke turned around, anger in his eyes, steadying his shaky arms and holding the sword in the stance Van had taught him. The Commandant let out a laugh. "So, you wish to settle it with a fight, then, Luke?" He drew his sword, shining brilliantly compared to Luke's dull antique, smiling. "This won't take long." He muttered to himself.

Luke found himself running towards his teacher, determined. "Van... prepare!" He cried out, swinging the sword at the right moment, remembering his lessons, the drills he had practiced so many times. Van guarded easily, and responded with a quick counter, all with one arm, and nearly effortlessly. Luke felt himself knocked back, as the sword flew out of his hands, sliding ten or so feet away from him. The next thing he saw was Van's silver blade mere inches from his neck. His eyes widened, disappointed that he had faced defeat so quickly. His breathing was heavy, compared to Van, who seemed to be very much enjoying the moment.

"Well then, are you convinced now, Luke?" Van asked, satisfaction in his voice. The child sighed, choking back a sob.

"Master Van... why? Why can't I go home...?" He whined, the tears once again forming. Van didn't respond, only stared long and hard at Luke, the stare he used when he was angered during their practice. "I'll... I'll go, Master Van. I'll accept defeat and go with you." He continued. Van, to his relief, sheithed the sword, letting out a hand to help Luke up, smiling. Anger boiled for a moment as Luke held that hand, dazed once again.

"Vaaaan, hurry up! Are you trying to get us caught?" It was Dist's voice, irritated. Luke looked toward the irritating scientist, who seemed to be riding on... was that a floating chair? He disliked this guy more every time he saw him. Van nodded, pulling Luke along. Dist had a grin on his face again, mumbling to himself. "I do hope you enjoy the little present we left you, Jade..." He whispered, delighted, before following the other two through into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4 : Headaches and Hallways

**A quick Author's Note: **Well, I suppose most people, when they get reviews, keep updating, so I'm sorry for the huge wait between chapters three and four. I'd really like to thank all of those who reviewed me, and supported me, because it really helped. Hope you enjoy this next installment in _Burned_!

---

Chapter Four : Headaches and Hallways

---

So then, where does _this_ door go to? He wondered. His gut told him it wouldn't be interesting, and just look like all the other hundreds of rooms in this place. A gloved hand reached for the handle, a creaking noise sounding as he swung the door open.

He was right. The lights weren't even turned on, and flipping the switch didn't bring anything Luke didn't already expect. A few tables, shelves with books, random little knicknacks people had left in there. Boooring. Why couldn't Lunaday come sooner? It was still three days before the time he had been promised his "training" would start. Not that he knew what that meant. Sword training? Here? Maybe. But the Oracle Headquarters seemed more like some kind of boarding school than anything else; an extremely huge, don't-know-what's-around-the-corner boarding school. Unfortunately for Luke, he was beginning to notice that it was easy to predict what was around the next corner.

Hitting the lights as he exited, Luke glanced at the figure walking through the hall. Just another Oracle Knight, wearing the normal low-rank uniform he had already seen many times now. Rather similar to what he was wearing, actually... the same Daath symbol he was getting used to seeing. The Daath uniform was pretty comfortable... unlike the itchy clothing he often had to wear for special occasions back at home. In fact, what he was wearing now was almost identical to his normal clothing, as it had been given to him by Master Van... now he saw where it came from, and it felt weird.

"Master Luke, you really shouldn't wander around so much." The deep, stolid voice nearly made Luke jump, as a shiver went up his spine. This guy... he was so eery. The child turned around, craning his head up high to see the man behind him. And that face was so scary, he thought. So worn-looking, and emotionless.

"You're that Largo guy." Luke muttered, crossing his arms. He'd gotten over the terrifying size of Largo, and now he was just... well, Luke had no idea how to talk to him. Largo sighed, shrugging.

"And you're that Luke kid. Up to something here, are we?" The giant inquired, craning his head down just as Luke struggled to look up. The child leaned against the wall, pouting. Why did he have to assume he was up to no good? It reminded him of how he was treated by the maids when he would wander around the palace looking for Natalia.

Largo waited patiently for the answer, which didn't seem to be coming. Luke looked down, and the Black Lion assumed he was in deep thought. So this was him... the son of Duke Fabre. So young and fragile... yet he could see the determination in those emerald eyes. Full of so much potential, he thought... the Princess must have been very fond of him. Largo gave a sort of sentimental smiling, laughing inside at the irony. First he had to suffer, and now Natalia - now his daughter was going through a loss as well. Was their family that victimized by the score

"What are you smiling about?" Luke asked, irritated. Largo peered down at the child, blue eyes in a sort of haze. Oh, he was thinking again. He shook his head, the small grin fading.

"Nothing..." He muttered, letting out a breath. "Anyway, Luke, perhaps you should meet some of the other children here? They ought to be taking a break from their lessons for lunch right around now. I'm sure you could find something better to do with them than wander around in the halls-"

"Largo! There you are!" The voice interrupted the God-General's statement, causing both of them to turn around abruptly. Luke found himself surprised as the small figure - a whole head shorter than himself - stood with his small hands on his hips, talking up to the man three times (or more) his size. "You were supposed to come with me to see that new girl! After what happened last time..." He trailed off, and the God-General took over the conversation.

"Fon Master-" Largo began, but was interrupted as the child made a sweeping gester with his hands, continuing his rant. Luke's ears perked up. Fon Master? This kid? He began to listen, interested.

"She tried to bite me, again! Such a tiny little thing... yet so powerful." He rubbed an arm, which Luke noticed was bandaged up to around the fingers. "How old did you say she was again?" Ion asked, that irritated look still on his face.

"Two years older than yourself, Fon Master." Largo answered solemnly. Luke narrowed his eyes at him, as the man peered down towards him. "In fact, just a year younger than little Luke here." He added, and Ion seemed for the first time to notice Luke's presence. A grin formed on his face, as he stepped past Largo and over towards Luke.

"This is that kid Van was talking about, huh?" He nearly sang it out, he seemed so pleased. Luke watched his eyes, a deeper emerald than his own, pupils widening with pleasure. "Hyperresonance kid. Perfect." Luke couldn't help envisioning a cat with a mouse under its paw. What was it about this hyperresonance that got Van and this kid so interested?

"Hey, can't you speak?" Ion said, breaking the silence spent as Luke observed the younger child. Luke felt an elbow nudge his side, as the tiny Fon Master stepped on past through the hallway, motioning up to the quiet God-General. "Largo, come on. I'm going to try again with the animal child, as troublesome as she is. We should be able to have her handled by the time Van gets back."

Largo's ears perked up, as if he had completely zoned out. "Oh... yes, Fon Master." He muttered, following the child. "Goodbye, Luke. Don't get too much more lost." He added, nodding to the redhead. "Let us find Arietta, hm, Ion?"

"Arietta... what a lovely pet name." Ion replied, as another shiver went up Luke's spine. He took a last glance at the two, the giant and the tiny child, as they walked off through the Daath Cathedral's halls. Was it getting cold in here all of a sudden?

Well, maybe he should stop wandering, he thought, leaning the back of his head against his arms. Where was the library, again? One of the cantors had told him earlier, he remembered. But how did he get there from here? He soon grew irritated by the fact that Daath cathedral was too big. He headed down the once again silent corridor, getting ready for a long afternoon. Well, at least this place wouldn't get too boring too fast.

---

He let out a cough, inhaling the puff of dust, shaking his head as the heavy book weighed down in his hands. Opening green eyes a few moments later, he examined the title, small hands running down the spine of the book and across the engraved letters. It was old. A lot of this stuff was.

"'Yulia and the Seventh Fonon,'" He read, sighing. How many books could you have about Yulia and the Seventh Fonon? He opened it to a random page, disappointed by the once again small, tiny print, and the lack of interesting material after a moment's search. Where were all the novels? The stories? He missed his own personal library and collection from home. He moaned inside at the thought that the good books he'd like would be in the higher shelves, far beyond his short reach.

Impatient, Luke grabbed a random book, sat down, and was determined to read it. No matter how annoying it was. It was at least lighter than the last one, and not as ancient-looking, suggesting that it wouldn't be written in that old annoying style. Light was filtering in from windows high above, just barely reaching the floor of the room and giving the place a sort of laid back feel. Not to mention empty.

Opening the book, Luke couldn't help letting out a cry as an odd pain shot through his head momentarily. It went away quickly, but thirty seconds later returned as a long aching sensation. He stopped in the middle of turning the page, hand flying towards his forehead. Ow! He let out a loud moan, unable to really hear himself. He was hearing something else instead.

"Luke... don't touch that... Luke!" A crashing noise. And that voice, was it... his mother? Was it? He managed to open his eyes, seeing for a moment a flash of something else, unrecognizable and blurry. What was going on? His head still hurt, and it wasn't fun. He let out a cry, pushing against the shelf, the hard corners of books pressing into his back. Every time he tried to look around, something else was coming into his mind, too ethereal to distinguish, and it was followed by that horrible aching...

"Hey, are you alright?" The voice seemed loud and piercing in his ears, when really it was said in only a whisper. But it was so much more real-sounding than that other voice, so seemingly like Luke's mother's... "Hey, open your eyes already! Does something hurt?" It was a girl's voice, and it was accompanied soon after by a touch just above his brow, a cool palm pressing against the pain. It began to disappear.

"I... mother..." Luke muttered, unable to speak straight, attempting to force his eyes open, meeting with the vision of an arm, and the small figure directly in front of him.

"Uh, no, not your mother. Way too young." Was the response, slightly irritated. Luke waited for things to focus, watching as the girl pulled her hand away from his now perfectly fine head. He stared, perhaps without really meaning to, curiously examining her. Short black-brown hair came just to her shoulders, slightly wavy and matching her dark chocolate eyes. Her uniform told him that she was either a cantor or training to be one, but she seemed kind of young. And she reminded Luke of... wait, did she?

"Er, sorry... don't know what's wrong with me right now." He finally blurted out, sitting up straight (as he had managed to slide down and crouch into a ball) and shaking his head about. The girl smiled.

"Hm, well, neither do I. But I think maybe you should get a breath of fresh air. It's pretty stuffy in here, don't you think?" She babbled, standing up. A hand went down to help him, which he quickly took, allowing her to pull him up and steady him. "I've never seen you before. Name's Julia." Julia added, as Luke was finally standing and facing her. She tilted her head at him, anticipating an answer.

"Oh, um, I'm Luke." Luke replied, putting out his hand as he had been taught when learning to formally introduce himself. "Luke fon..." The words trailed out of his mouth, as the mere thought of his full name brought thoughts of home. Hell, even just plain 'Luke' reminded him of home, every time he or somebody else said it. Julia nodded, turning around and beckoning him to follow. "Here, I'll take you to the courtyard nearest here. Shouldn't you be going to class in a bit or something?" she asked, navigating through the lines of shelves, obviously familiar with the place. Luke shook his head, catching a glimpse of everything

"No, I kind of just got here. Master Van is going to..."

"Oh! You're the kid Uncle Largo was talking about." Julia interrupted, turning around, proving that she even knew where she was going when walking backwards. Luke gave her a questioning look. 'Uncle' Largo? Julia seemed able to read his mind. "Ya, the giant Largo guy is my uncle. It's the reason I'm living here. My parents wanted me to come and, well, you know... learn the ways of Yulia. They find it to be an honorable thing, supposedly." She trailed off a bit at the end. "But I get to see my uncle a lot, which is neat. He's really cool, you know. Uses a scythe. Very good at it." She rambled on. Luke could tell she liked to talk, even to somebody she'd just met.

She was right; the fresh air, filled with the scents of plants and flowers from the garden, was quite refreshing. Luke breathed it in, thinking of the even larger garden that Natalia had, containing an array of some of the most exotic foliage from as far away as the tropical Chesedonia. There was nothing that rare here, but the simplicity had a sort of more relaxing feeling to it. Julia kneeled down by a small patch, mumbled something about them being special medicinal herbs. Luke didn't really pay much attention, still absorbing the scent of the place. Green eyes spotted a set of stairs, and Luke was unable to betray his curiosity.

"You got over that pretty fast." Luke stopped, a foot on the first step and his hand sliding up the rail. He'd almost forgotten about Julia. She came up behind him, hands on her hips. "Speaking of which, what was up with you? It seemed pretty painful." She added, pulling a groan from Luke.

"Look, I'm fine. You can leave me alone now." He said, continuing his ascent. But Julia was persistent, following close behind.

"No way, I'm not leaving until I find out what was wrong with you." She called after him, catching up with his steps. Luke sped up. He didn't need this... and she shouldn't have been caring. "Luke!" He stopped. Was that?

That last cry hadn't been Julia. It had been inside his head. Which, by the way, had begun hurting again. Luke's free hand gripped onto the railing, struggling to remain standing. But his legs were shaky, and he couldn't see straight anymore... eyes closed immediately, blocking away the blurry visions, and he could feel his body go numb.

"Luke!" The same voice, a young girl, incredibly familiar... Natalia. Luke opened his eyes, meeting with a stone floor, feeling a strange rise in the temperature of the place. It was sunnier all of a sudden, and he tried to raise his head, desperately wanting a look around. But his body was betraying him, and he couldn't feel a thing. Hands appeared in front of him, obviously his own, but it seemed his outfit had changed. They were pushing him up, clumsily, and Luke got a clear view of his surroundings. It was clearly the courtyard in front of his room... in Baticul.

"Luke, you're so very clumsy! Please be careful!" Natalia's voice again, coming from the left. Where was she? Luke desperately wanted to know. Involuntarily he turned to the voice, watching the figure of the young princess run towards him. She latched to his arm, looking concerned. "Are you alright?"

Was this a dream? But he could clearly feel Natalia's arms wrapped around him, could smell the warm air. He tried desperately to say something. _Natalia! It's me! I'm back!_ The words formed clearly in his mind, but he couldn't say them. Why? Natalia was calling somebody over, and Luke found himself looking into the eyes of his mother.

"Luke..." Suzanne trailed off, a tinge of frustration in her voice. "Does he know what you're saying to him?" She asked Natalia, who shrugged."I have no idea. He won't speak to me... he doesn't know me." She let out a sob as she said it, and Suzanne reached down to comfort her._ But I _do_ know you! I do!_ Luke thought, once again being unable to say it. He struggled again to move, to control what was happening, again failed to do so. Was this... that boy from before? The one who'd looked like him? Was he inside that other Luke's body?

This was useless. He couldn't move, or speak... he continued to watch Natalia, watched as she ran a hand through her hair, uncomfortably, his mother placing a hand lightly on the princess' shoulder. Quickly Luke realized that he could no longer hear them, and the warm feeling had begun to fade away. Now it seemed more like a dream... Luke blinked and it was gone, replaced by a faded view of the steps, and his own heavy breathing.

---

"Luke!" It wasn't Natalia this time, but Julia. "Luke, is it a headache again? Can you stand?" The questions went on, and the girl watched as Luke attempted to pull himself up, holding tightly to the stairway railing.

"Natalia... It's me... I'm back..." He mumbled. Julia stared at him, watching the sleepy expression. Noticing his lack of support, she quickly grabbed onto his right arm, trying her best to hold him up. He was heavier than she expected.

"Master Tritheim, I don't know what's wrong with him." She said, looking towards the man behind her, watching quietly. "It was happening earlier, in the library, and now he's going on about some Natalie person..." She added.

"Natalia. Princess Natalia." Tritheim replied, calmly approaching the two. "Commandant Grants said this could be a possible side-effect..." He continued, as Julia looked at him curiously.

"Of... what? I've never seen something like this before." The concern in Julia's voice had risen, as Luke was beginning to struggle in her arms. Tritheim shrugged, shaking his head.

"You haven't even reached ten yet, dear. There are a lot of things you haven't seen." He said, chuckling. "But I don't know. Van has been very secretive lately... so has the Fon Master." he added, continuing to watch, ready to help if asked. Luke was shaking more, and Julia's small frame was having trouble holding him up. "Here, let's get him off the stairs." Tritheim decided, lifting the trembling Luke into his arms. Julia let go, quickly running after, motioning to a nearby bench. They laid him down, still, as though he were sleeping, the tips of his fingers lightly twitching.

"Sir, should I get my uncle? He knows what Van is doing... he might know what's wrong." Julia asked, kneeling besides the boy. His crimson hair was falling down the sides, nearly touching the ground, and she found herself almost unable to stop watching as it shimmered in the overcast light.

"I know you... I do... I remember." Luke moaned, rolling. Julia squealed as he fell, unable to act fast enough, hearing the thud as his small body met with the concrete.

"Luke!" She yelled, grabbing him. He was on his stomach, pushing himself up, moving for the first time on his own. She could almost hear his fast beating heart, heavy breathing, and watched his emerald eyes slowly open, glazed. She pushed him up, kneeling, staring, not speaking. He was looking straight at her, but remained entirely silent.

"Natalia...?" He asked, watching the blurred figure in front of him, barely recognizable. Was he back in Daath again? He waited for the pictures to come into focus.

"No, it's Julia. Why would you think...?" She trailed off, catching the boy as he fell forward again. Tritheim had gone off, and she looked around frantically, hands gripping Luke's wrists.

"Julia... I was home again. I saw it." Luke muttered, head fallen against her shoulder. "Why? Why couldn't I do anything? That other boy was there, the one who looks like me. Why is he there?" He went on, anger in his voice beginning to rise.

"Luke, I don't know what you're talking about." Julia said, trying to push him off her, watching as he steadied himself. A look of contempt was on his face, almost menacing, and she leaned back, as if worried he might bite her or something. "Luke, calm down, you're alright..." She reached out to his shoulder, but retracted her hand as a spark seemed to shock her. Luke's hair was shimmering, but it wasn't the sunlight this time. "Luke...?" She said, tilting her head to the side, curious. He was breathing hard again. Julia almost slid back, but concern pushed her forward, and she grabbed the boy's shoulders, this time without experiencing a sting. "Luke, what's going on? Talk!" She yelled, but Luke seemed as if he had entered that strange world again.

_I've felt this before... is it happening again?_ Luke thought, feeling the fonons gathering around. He couldn't hear the girl in front of him, could only hear his own enraged thoughts. Why was he there? Why was the other boy there?! And why could he see through him? _Van said something like 'hyperresonance' last time this happened..._ He looked in front of him, saw Julia's face for a split second before the flash came. Next was her scream.

"Julia! Get off him!" The deep voice came from behind them, and Julia turned to the vague image of her uncle, hardly visible due to the bright light. Her right hand had slid off of Luke's shoulder, but the left one still remained, somehow numb to the hard pain that was pulsing through it.

Largo shook his head. "The girl never listens..." He muttered, watching his niece continuing to bare the Luke boy's hyperresonance. "Julia! Let me handle this." He bellowed again, approaching her and the glowing Luke.

Julia felt a forceful hand pull her away, and she fell onto her back, finally realizing the horrible pain in her hand. She pushed herself up, watching as Largo kneeled in front of the boy. "Uncle! Is he alright?!" She screamed, scrambling to her feet. She knew better than to go back there, not when Largo had been so determined to pull her away.

"He'll be fine in a moment, Julia. You shouldn't have touched him." The giant man replied, and Julia watched as the glowing slowly died down, and Luke's breathing was all that was heard. He sounded exhausted... as soon as it was over she stumbled back to the two at the bench, watching Luke panting in Largo's arms. The boy let out a moan, emerald eyes going back from Largo, then to Julia. She'd been there, in front of him, all during that, hadn't she?

"Julia... did that... hurt you?" He breathed out, energy draining from him. Julia glanced at her left hand before kneeling down besides him, concerned.

"I'm alright, Luke... I'm perfectly fine. It's you we should be worried about." She turned to Largo. "Uncle, I want an explanation." She demanded, a scowl on her face. The huge man sighed, smiling at the young girl.

"Later, Julia. Luke needs to get some rest first." He replied, lifting the boy up. Julia followed, reaching arms up to Luke.

"Luke, you're going to be okay, alright?" She assured him. Luke opened his eyes halfway, sleepy looking.

"Julia... your hand-"

Oh, it's perfectly fine. Get some rest, alright?" Julia interrupted, stopping as Largo turned away and headed towards the door. Luke turned his head towards the sky. He could /really/ use a nap, couldn't he? Ya, that would be nice... He slowly drifted off, the last image on his mind the red gash across Julia's left palm.


End file.
